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Gardening can be a fun and relaxing hobby but if you have to constantly be worried about garden pests damaging your plants became soon turned into a source of stress.

Dumping harsh chemicals on your plants is not good for you or the environment but luckily there is a better way. You can encourage natural predators into your garden that will soon eliminate these pesky pests. These natural creatures can live in harmony in your garden where they will eat the pests that are harming your plants.

Here are some natural predators and how you might encourage them to take up residence in your garden.

Frogs

What would a garden be without some frogs and toads? They are likely attracted to your garden as it is, but you can add a few elements to attract even more of them. Since frogs and toads love water you might think of installing a garden pond, or at the very least a small water feature low to the ground that they can breed in. They will thank you by helping to control small insects and slugs.

Lady Bugs

Ladybugs love to eat aphids so you want to attract as many of them as you can into your garden. You probably recognize them as an adult with a red and black dotted shells but you might not easily recognize the lava which is gray in color with orange dots. Don’t mistake the larva for a past as these lover can chow down more aphids than the adults. Ladybugs like Cosmos, scented geraniums and even dandelions so be sure to have plenty of those in your garden.

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles like to make their home under stones or leaf covers and sleep all day coming out at night to feed on garden pests. They have quite an appetite Emil Chow down slugs, snails, cutworms and leather jackets and the lava or egg stage. Some will even climb up in the trees to get a good meal and can eat gypsy moth and tent caterpillars. you can encourage these as you garden are providing permanent plantings for them to live under, loose leaf cover or small stones.

Birds

Who doesn’t want birds in their garden? While these might be considered pests for some vegetables they can also read your garden of pests such as caterpillars, grubbs, slugs and aphids which they feed on. have a little bird bath in your garden as well as some nesting boxes to encourage birds into the garden where they might see a tasty grub they might want to feast on.

Lacewings

Lacewings, or the larva of lace wings feed on aphids and small soft bodied pests. To attract bees, make sure you have a water source and plant lots of nectar and pollen flowers as they like to lay their eggs underneath the leaves of these plants.

With a little bit of strategic planning, you can attract these predators into your garden which will not only help control the pests but will also add interest to the garden. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to plant particular flowers and put out sources of water to attract birds, beetles and frogs into your garden than it is to drag out the sprayer hose and douse your garden with chemicals! Not only will you be getting rid of pests on your plants, you’ll also be providing a food source for the predators and keeping the environment free of chemicals!

About the Author
Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.backyard-garden-and-patio.com where you can learn more about gardening and growing lush garden flowers.

Perennials, by definition, are plants that live for three or more years. This would stretch from dandelions to redwoods and many species in between. When refers to perennials, they are talking about flowering garden plants with herbaceous stems. These plants die down to the soil’s surface in winters while the root remains alive and ready to send fresh growth in the spring. The durability of the roots sets them apart. They come back unprompted year after year and set the garden ablaze with color from April to November. Perennials flower abundantly and multiply without being coaxed. They are easy to grow and tolerate considerable neglect. Perennials include delphiniums, columbines, daisies and peonies.

Annuals sprout from seed, bear fruit, seeds and flowers and die – all in a single year.
Biennials spend their first years growing, produce flowers and seeds in the second year- and then die. Sweet William, foxglove, Canterbury bell and wallflower are some of the common biennials.

Flowering perennials are noticeably long lived. The first recorded appearance of peonies dates back to 1864. Delphiniums thrive for seven to eight years where summers and winters are moderate. Day lilies, coreopsis, acanthus, lavender cotton and false indigo grow beautifully in a warm and humid climate. The dry and windy places do not lack for perennials. Oriental poppies, garden phlox, bearded irises, day lilies, chrysanthemum and many others flourish there.

The first challenge while growing perennials is to obtain continuity of color by planting various varieties to flower at different times. The aim is to present a charming array of color from early spring to late fall. However, a rare perennial flowers all of the growing season. (more…)

Perennials are not difficult to grow and maintain (after all, they regrow year on year), and they positively thrive in very difficult sites, such as shady corners or areas with permanently moist soil. But does that mean we can have a beautiful perennial garden that is maintenance-free? Well, not quite: in this world you don’t usually get something for nothing. Follow a few simple plant care guidelines, however, and your perennial garden will delight you with a healthy, vigorous display for a minimum of work.

Before we look at the different aspects of maintaining a healthy perennial garden, just a few words about the importance of careful planting. The greater the care taken with soil preparation, selection of healthy plants and adequate watering at the very outset, the less work you will have further down the line. You will be able to spend more time relaxing in your garden enjoying the wonderful display if, initially, you have given your perennials the optimum growing conditions in which to thrive.

Both feeding and watering established plants in your perennial garden should definitely not be time-consuming chores. Established perennials, grown on well-cultivated land and well-watered when first planted, require little in the way of feeding and watering. An annual application in the spring of general purpose granular fertilizer or blood, fish and bonemeal should supply all the nutrients your plants will need. Care should be taken to avoid scorching leaves, flowers and stems when applying the fertilizer.

Watering of mature plants should be minimal. Not only does this make sense in terms of conserving precious water, but also in saving you hours of work. Of course, prolonged periods of drought might call for some watering of your perennial garden. Try, though, to use “grey”, recycled water or rainwater collected in a water-butt. Remember, too, when you do need to water do so later in the day and direct the water down into the roots. As with fertilizer, keep water away from the foliage: water droplets on leaves evaporate under an intense sun to leave brown scorch marks.

From watering to the dreaded weeding – an audible groan immediately goes up for this onerous chore! But is this really so bad? Why not uproot weeds when they’re small? This way you make the job easier and, importantly, avoid disturbing your plants’ roots. Better still, why not apply an organic mulch in spring or summer when the soil is moist? You’ll suppress weeds while, at the same time, you’ll also be helping to retain the soil’s moisture and improve its structure. Shredded bark and stone chips make a good, decorative, weed-suppressing soil covering.

Perhaps, though, from a plantsman’s point of view, the best solution to weed suppression is planting. Columbine, for example, is a natural colonizer and self-seeder: if allowed to spread quite freely weeds are naturally suppressed. Low-growing, creeping perennials, like catmint, fulfil the same function. A luxuriant, naturalistic planting scheme in a perennial garden is the best weed-suppressant of all; easy on the eye and easy on the back!

Of course, there is a difference between luxuriant growth and congested growth. Foliage and flowering displays can be improved by:

1.Thinning or picking out shoots: delphiniums, lupins, and michaelmas daisies benefit from this treatment.

2.Cutting back old flowered stems to promote regrowth: delphiniums, catmint and salvias
respond well and will give a second display.

3.Deadheading, or removing, flowerheads as they fade: chrysanthemums, phlox, lupins, and panstemons will produce a second flush of flowers.

4.Dividing vigorous perennials every three to five years e.g sedums, irises and bergenias. Replant the healthiest, newest sections.

All the above are hardly arduous jobs and, in the case of division, infrequent. These gentle tasks, carried out regularly throughout the summer, exemplify the more relaxing and enjoyable aspects of maintaining a healthy, aesthetically-pleasing perennial garden. “Little and often” is the key.

Staking perennials is, for many, as much a chore as weeding. Different types of perennials have different requirements:

1.Delphiniums and other tall-stemmed perennials should be tied loosely to a cane when 8-9 ins. tall.

2.Clumps of perennials, tall asters and astilbes for instance, bebefit from link of ring
stakes which can be raised as the plant grows.

But, as with weeding so with staking: why not obviate the need for staking in the first place by choosing free-standing perennials such as hardy geraniums, day lilies and columbine? Alternatively, look out for the newer, more compact versions of old favorites like delphiniums and asters which, when used together with free-standing plants, will still provide you with a wonderful display but little work.

Finally, when plants have finished their display, the dead foliage and stems need tidying up and cutting back to the base. But is this all strictly necessary in the fall? Why not leave attractive stems and flowerheads to overwinter in the garden? The rimed forms of asters, sedums and phlomis look truly spectacular in a winter landscape as do the tough plumes and spikelets of grasses. If given a little protection, grasses, like miscanthus offer a welcome sight of warm beiges and browns while the yellow-striped carex and red-tinged hakonechloa persist throughout the winter. In keeping with the principle “little and often”, finish tidying up before new shoots appear. That’s not too bad, is it?

So, to sum up: plant with care and choose your plants with care. In this way you will enjoy a perennial garden that offers the best of both worlds: maintenance-lite but still offering a visual delight even in the depths of winter.

Using native plants in landscaping in an urban setting exudes a certain character and at the same time requires fewer resources; such as water, etc… Here are some things that you should know when planning to embark on this endeavor.

Why use native plants?

Using native plants for landscaping is a way of celebrating natural heritage and a way of returning back to a land ethic established 50 years before by Aldo Leopold. Looking closely at native plants, it can be ascertained that these plants have many traits that make them very appealing in terms of aesthetic value, ecological value, and practicality. They can also present some health benefits when used properly.

Native Plants

So what are native plants? Native plants are plants that have evolved naturally in the United States. In particular, native plants in a certain area are those that were thriving in the particular area long before humans brought plants from faraway places. Both in Central and Eastern North America, the native plants grow in areas that have other species which have adapted to similar weather, moisture, and soil conditions. Some of the more prevalent types include tallgrass prairies, beech and maple forests, freshwater marshes, bogs, and savannahs among others.

Native plants are energy savers

Since native plants have been present in their respective areas for thousands of years, they have adapted and toughened against local conditions. They are resilient and can withstand the cruel winter cold or the sizzling summer heat. After getting a firm hold on the land, these types of plants will need no fertilizers or irrigation and are less prone to pests. Because of these reasons, native plants are very ideal for a low-maintenance type of landscaping and gardening.

Native plants are fascinating

Due to their diversity, native plants include wonderful flowers and interesting foliage. Trees and shrubs native to an area present a multitude of shapes, textures, and sizes to the landscape. Besides this, native plants have very interesting cultural as well as historical dimensions. A lot of the species are considered to be of value both as food and medicine. Some types have been used for textiles, dyeing, and cordage to name a few of their uses… It also serves as a reminder, a link to yesterday and its memories.

These are some of the reasons why native plants are used for landscaping. If you think that these are well grounded reasons and that you concur with it, then there is no reason why you should not delve into native plant landscaping.